This invention relates generally to a vehicle having an accessory that is mounted to the chassis, such as the telescoping hoist cylinder that is mounted on the chassis of a dump truck for use in raising the dump bed. The invention provides an apparatus by which a frame for such an accessory may be attached to the chassis of a vehicle without welding onto, or drilling holes in, the chassis.
A variety of working vehicles are provided with an accessory that is mounted to the vehicle chassis and adapted for a particular purpose or function. Some such accessories are supported in a fixed manner on the vehicle chassis, and others are supported in a dynamic manner. An example of a vehicle having an accessory that is supported in a fixed manner on the chassis is a refuse hauling and compaction truck. Such vehicle includes a static refuse/compaction body that is supported in a fixed position (relative to the chassis) by a frame that is attached to the vehicle chassis. Examples of a vehicles having components that are supported in a dynamic relationship to the chassis are concrete mixer trucks and dump trucks. Concrete mixer trucks include support frames that support the mixer in such a manner that it may rotate about a fixed axis, and dump trucks include support frames that support one or more telescoping hoist cylinders and a dump body that is raised thereby.
Typically, the dump body of a dump truck is pivotally attached at the rear end of the vehicle chassis and at least one weight-bearing, telescoping hoist cylinder is mounted to the chassis behind the cab. The hoist cylinder or cylinders are adapted for raising the front of the dump body off the chassis while the rear end pivots about a horizontal axis at its point of attachment to the chassis. The most common hoist cylinder configuration utilizes a single hoist cylinder, the base of which is attached to a frame mounted on the chassis behind the cab, and the extension end or piston of which is attached to the dump body at a point near its front end; however, other arrangements and configurations of hoist cylinders are known and are susceptible to the advantages provided by the present invention. In addition, the invention may be applied to other types of vehicles which include telescoping hoist cylinders that are adapted for raising components such as lift buckets, ladders and the like. The invention may also be applied to other types of vehicles which include other types of accessories that are mounted on the vehicle chassis. Such vehicles include refuse hauling and compaction trucks and concrete mixer trucks.
As has been mentioned, the hoist cylinder of a dump truck is typically mounted on the vehicle chassis behind the cab. The hoist cylinder is usually mounted in a mounting frame that is bolted to the vehicle chassis. Additional hoist components, such as scissors mechanisms, may also be mounted to the frame. Mounting arrangements for hoist cylinders are illustrated and/or described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,798,469 of Heil et al., U.S. Pat. No. 1,925,296 of Barrett, U.S. Pat. No. 2,640,725 of Dale, U.S. Pat. No. 2,842,398 of Chaney and U.S. Pat. No. 4,326,749 of Bender.
One disadvantage of conventional hoist cylinder frame mounting assemblies arises from the fact that other components, such as, for example, fuel tanks, air tanks and battery boxes, are invariably mounted to or between the longitudinal frame components of the vehicle chassis. Consequently, in order to mount a conventional hoist cylinder frame mounting assembly to the vehicle, or to obtain access to a previously mounted hoist cylinder, it is necessary to first remove such ancillary components from the chassis. It would be desirable therefore, if a hoist cylinder mounting apparatus could be provided that would permit access to the hoist cylinder mounting frame from above or beneath (preferably above) the vehicle chassis.
Another disadvantage of the conventional mounting mechanisms for hoist cylinder frames is that high localized stresses may be placed on bolt holes through the chassis components by the loads transmitted through the hoist cylinder. It would be desirable therefore if a hoist cylinder mounting apparatus could be provided that could be mounted to the chassis without being bolted through holes in the chassis components.
A number of removable mechanical attachment mechanisms are known for attachment of freight compartments and other truck body components to the chassis of a truck. Such devices are illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,630,145 of Travis, U.S. Pat. No. 1,862,632 of Perin, U.S. Pat. No. 2,363,172 of Franks, U.S. Pat. No. 2,427,603 of Higgins, U.S. Pat. No. 2,942,912 of Lucas et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,000,924 of Blasingame, U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,690 of Smith and U.S. Pat. No. 5,829,946 of McNeilus et al. None of these devices are adapted for attachment of a hoist cylinder mounting frame to the chassis of a vehicle, and consequently, these devices are generally not designed to withstand the stresses placed upon the hoist cylinder mounting frame of a dump truck. Furthermore, most of these attachment devices involve complicated mechanisms that nevertheless must be accessed from the side of the truck chassis. In addition, most of these attachment devices are not accessible without first removing other chassis-mounted components. It would be desirable therefore, if a simple attachment mechanism could be provided that could be employed to securely attach a hoist cylinder or other accessory mounting frame to the chassis of a vehicle, while providing access to the mounting frame without first requiring the removal of other chassis-mounted components.
An advantage of this invention is that it provides for mounting a hoist cylinder or other accessory assembly to the chassis of a vehicle without requiring welding or the drilling of holes through the chassis components. Another advantage of this invention is that it permits access to the hoist cylinder assembly or other accessory from above or from beneath the vehicle chassis. Still another advantage of this invention is that it provides access to the accessory without requiring that other chassis-mounted components be removed. Yet another advantage of the invention is that it provides a simple attachment mechanism for securely attaching an accessory mounting frame to the chassis of a vehicle.
Additional advantages of this invention will become apparent from an examination of the drawings and the ensuing description.
As used herein, the term accessory means a component of a vehicle that relates to the use or function for which the vehicle is placed in service. Such accessories include, for example, the telescoping hoist cylinders and dump bodies of dump trucks, the rotating mixers of concrete mixer trucks and the refuse bodies of refuse hauling and compaction trucks.
As used herein, the term chassis means the frame supporting the engine, wheels and suspension system of a vehicle.
As used herein, the term clamping a base plate to the horizontal portion of a frame component means causing the base plate and the horizontal portion to be held together without welding and without drilling holes through the frame component.
The invention comprises an assembly for mounting an accessory to the chassis of a vehicle which includes a first longitudinal frame component and a second longitudinal frame component. The longitudinal frame components are disposed along the long axis of the vehicle in a substantially parallel relationship to each other, and each of the longitudinal frame components includes a substantially horizontal portion having an upper surface and an oppositely disposed lower surface. The assembly includes an accessory mounting frame comprising a first base plate and a second base plate. The assembly also includes means for clamping the first base plate to the horizontal portion of the first frame component, and means for clamping the second base plate to the horizontal portion of the second frame component.
In order to facilitate an understanding of the invention, the preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings, and a detailed description thereof follows. It is not intended, however, that the invention be limited to the particular embodiments described or to use in connection with the apparatus illustrated herein. Various modifications and alternative embodiments such as would ordinarily occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates are also contemplated and included within the scope of the invention described and claimed herein.